Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Heard In Congress: ‘What About Men Having To Purchase Prenatal Care?’; Some Poor ‘Just Don’t Want Health Care’

A few comments made by lawmakers during debate of the GOP health bill make waves, while many Republicans in California's congressional delegation keep mum about the plan.

The Washington Post:
‘Is That Not Correct?’: Male GOP Lawmaker Asks Why Men Should Pay For Prenatal Coverage
In the 27 hours the House Energy and Commerce Committee spent debating Republicans’ Obamacare revision plan, a handful of moments stand out. This is one of them. At the start, Democratic Rep. Mike Doyle (Pa.) was talking with Republican Rep. John Shimkus (Ill.) about Shimkus’s objections to the Affordable Care Act’s requirements for health-insurance plans. ... “What about men having to purchase prenatal care?” Shimkus said. At that point, one could hear the room start to stir. “I’m just ... is that not correct?” Shimkus said. “And should they?” (Viebeck, 3/9)

The Washington Post:
The Poor ‘Just Don’t Want Health Care’: Republican Congressman Faces Backlash Over Comments
A first-term congressman who spent three decades as a physician — and is now part of a group of Republican doctors who have a major role in replacing Obamacare — is facing backlash after saying that poor people “just don’t want health care and aren’t going to take care of themselves.” Rep. Roger Marshall, (R-Kan.), a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus, said comments he made to STAT were not meant to suggest that poor people take health care for granted. The comments were published in a story last week about his burgeoning role in the fight to replace the Affordable Care Act. (Phillips, 3/9)

Los Angeles Times:
Many Of California's Republican Members Of Congress Are Saying Very Little About Their Party's Healthcare Bill
Many of California’s congressional Republicans represent districts with a large number of people who have insurance under Obamacare, and they’re taking a cautious approach to the House Republican plan to replace the healthcare law. A proposed replacement for Obamacare released earlier this week has drawn a firestorm of criticism on the left and the right. By Thursday, most of the 14 Republicans in the California delegation, including some of the seven who represent districts that backed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, had said only that they were still assessing the proposed law. (Wire, 3/9)

As lawmakers get their talking points out to constituents, KHN teams up with ProPublica, Stat and Vox to fact-check those claims —

ProPublica/Kaiser Health News:
Truth And Consequence: KHN Joins Team To Parse Lawmakers’ Lingo On Health Law
That led ProPublica to wonder about the accuracy of responses sent to constituents by other members of the House and Senate on the Affordable Care Act and its future. Today, ProPublica is teaming with journalists at Kaiser Health News, Stat and Vox to gather those missives from our readers. On Monday, House Republican leaders unveiled their official proposal to repeal and replace the law. As the legislative debate begins in earnest, we plan to look at the representations made by elected officials from both parties and share what we find. (Ornstein, 3/10)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.